Improvement in double postal cards



C. A; L. TOTTEN. Double Postal-Cards.

No. 198,322. Patented Dec.-18, 1877.

N-PETERS. PHOTO-UTNDGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. Dv C.

UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

GHARLES A. L. TOTTEN, OF UNITED STATES ARMY.

IMPROVEMENT IN DOUBLE POSTAL CARDS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 198,322, dated December 18, 1877; application filed December 3, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. L. TOTTEN, of the United States Army, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Business- Message Tablets, &c.; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to reversible businesstablets, for use of the business and private community; and consists in making such tablets or letter-sheets inthree folds, and in fastening the same by means of tongues inserted in slits located in the crease between the first and second folds. Any number of folds may be used, but the slot must come in the crease between two of them.

My device comprises the whole class of messagetablets-mamely, such as are or may be used for ordinary letter-writin g, notes drop -letters, messages, dispatches, postal cards, summonses, &c.

The valuable features of this invention are the facility with which the fastening is made, and its security when effected; also, the simplicity of the tablet and cheapness of its manufacture.

In order to distinguish between my invention and former message arrangements, I will now specify and describe the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters refer to corresponding parts.

T represents the tongue, which is slipped into the slot S. L is the third fold, and will cover both message and answer while in transitu. A A and B B are the creases between the folds, in the one of which, B B, is found the slot S.

Figure 1 represents one side of the tablet, and Fig. 2 the reverse of the same. Fig. 4 shows the address side of the same when folded and secured, the tongue being shown dotted in position. Fig. 3 shows the back of the same when folded and fastened, and shows the tongue dotted. This is or may be always blank, and so conceal the direct view of the message and answer.

Fig. 5 represents a perspective view of the card, the tongue being half slipped into place.

To use and fasten the same, write the message and address, fold along the lines A A and B B, so that the message is turned in, slip the tongue into its slot, and it is ready for the carrier.

The advantage of placing the slit in the crease is manifest, it acting then similarly to a hook, and, so to speak, fastens itself.

In the drawing 1 show the stamp of a postal card on the middle fold; but, for convenience, it may be placed with the address on either fold.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A reversible business-message tablet, postal card, or letter-sheet, having a tongue at one end, and having three folds on the lines A A and B B, with a slot in the crease A B, substantially as described.

CHARLES A. L. TOTTEN.

Witnesses:

W. A. BARTLETT, OTTo DE MoLL. 

